Safe & Sound
by WithDropsofJupiterInHerHair
Summary: Most nights after what happened at Malfoy Manor, Hermione woke up screaming, which in the morning Ron pretended he hadn't heard.    Hermione lies beside Ron at night, casting enchantments to conceal heartbreaking cries for Fred.


**So, I've wanted to enter this fandom for quite some time now but I just couldn't write a good story… I feel pretty confident in this one though, so I guess this will be my grand entrance. From the moment I heard this song, I knew that I had to do something with this and Romione. I know that the dialogue might be a bit iffy and out-of-character, but I was trying to tie the lyrics and the characters together… but that's enough rambling. Enjoy and please leave any comments/criticism!**

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><p><em>I remember tears streaming down your face<em>

_When I said I'll never let you go._

_When all those shadows almost killed your light._

_I remember you said don't leave me here alone._

_But all that's dead and gone and past tonight._

Most nights after what happened at Malfoy Manor, Hermione woke up screaming, which in the morning Ron pretended he hadn't heard just as much as Hermione pretended it hadn't happened.

Ron rolled over on his makeshift cot of blankets and stared at the door before him. The shrieks had ended and been replaced by muffled, heartbreaking sobs. He drew in a deep breath, sitting up and leaning against the wall for support. It broke his heart to hear her like this, to know that he'd let someone do this to her, to know that he hadn't stopped it… he owed it to her after all that he'd put her through. She never deserved this.

"_Ron_-" a single word broke through the sobs. He wiped the hot, wet tracks with his sleeve before looking up expectantly. "_Ron_…" the voice was lower, more of a whisper, followed by the squeak of a mattress.

As the footsteps drew closer, Ron straightened¾what should he do? It was too late to run. He could toss the blanket and pillow aside and pretend that he'd only been sneaking downstairs for a midnight snack¾maybe she'd even laugh at that one, and he'd see a glimmer of the Hermione he once new, the Hermione from before this whole war started. But it was too late now, the doorknob turned carefully as the door crept open, revealing the saddest, most beautiful thing in the world.

A gasp escaped her, as Ron jumped up, flicking the Deluminator which he held in his hand, "It's only me…" he soothed, "It's only me, Ron…" He tried to read her expression… she looked so frightened, so sad, and a little bit of something he couldn't quite place. He took in her watering eyes and rosy cheeks, "Hermione…"

Without warning she erupted in tears, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest, closer than she'd ever been. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, never wanting to leave her on her own again. "It's alright… you're safe now, Hermione… I'll never let you go…" he whispered in her ear as they continued to hold onto each other tightly.

. . . . . . . . .

Ron had lost track of time in comforting her, but sometime later he had finally managed to walk her back to her bed. He sat down with her a while longer before she wiped away the last of her tears.

"Thank you, Ronald." she said politely, although he could see that she was clearly embarrassed.

"'S nothing…" he muttered rising from her bed, "You ought to get some sleep now." She nodded slowly, staring at the floorboards. Carefully turning off the lights in the room with a flick of the Deluminator, he watched her for a moment longer before turning to leave.

"Ron," a voice met him just as he reached the door. She sounded smaller than ever before. "Don't leave me here alone."

_Just close your eyes,_

_The sun is going down._

_You'll be alright,_

_No one can hurt you now._

_Come morning light, _

_You and I'll be safe and sound._

Ron awkwardly laid on the opposite end of the bed, watching her silhouette rise and fall with each breath. Just when he was sure she was asleep, she rolled over and rested her head on his chest as she draped her arm across him.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"_Mm-mmm_…"

"Aren't you tired? Why don't you try to sleep?"

"I don't want to have any more nightmares…" she murmured. "I just can't stand the thought of seeing her face…"

"Just close your eyes." he muttered, doing his best to ignore his anger for the moment and moving his arm to rub her shoulder peacefully, "You'll be alright… we're safe now."

He knew that wasn't entirely the truth, and that she knew it as well, but it was so much easier to believe it. She snuggled a bit closer to him, and he held her tighter as he listened to her breathing slow.

_Don't you dare look out your window,_

_Darling, everything's on fire._

_The war outside our door keeps raging on._

_Hold onto this lullaby, even when the music's gone._

Hermione never had any siblings, but she figured a love for them was something like her love for Harry and the Weasleys. However, when they lost Fred in the war, she knew that she would never really understand what that put Ron through.

When he was awake, he would often sit alone with a blank, pained expression. Occasionally he would shed a tear, when he thought no one was looking. Hermione knew he was trying to be strong for his family. He was trying so hard to keep it together when everyone else was busy giving into heartbreak. But when he was asleep, all his defenses came down and her little lion man proved to be nothing more than human.

She could never quite figure out how she was supposed to react to this… the whimpers that escaped him and the crying out in the night for Fred to return. Sometimes she would do nothing more than cast a silencing charm around them to keep his secret in the still nights of the tower. Other times she would find ways to casually wake him up, then feign sleep when he began to awaken.

But this time the tears that she awoke to weren't coming from the spot beside her in the bed. She searched the room worriedly to find him gazing out the window to the grounds. She could make out muffled shouts as faint bursts of light lit up the sky beyond his silhouette.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, many people believed the war to be over, but that wasn't the whole truth. There was still the occasional rogue witch or wizard seeking revenge or a name of their own. It wasn't too common, but it was enough of a threat to have several charms and a few guards in place at all times.

With another curse, a sob erupted from the young man in front of the window. Placing his hand softly on the glass, he broke Hermione's heart. She hadn't seen him cry like that since those first few days…

Slowly raising herself from the bed, she carefully made her way toward him. She place one hand on his upper arm to make her presence known before turning him to face her and encircling his midsection in her arms. He immediately fell into her embrace, resting his own head on top of hers and taking a deep breath. That one say communicated all the words she knew he couldn't bring himself to say.

He tensed once again as another spell cast its light through the window.

"Please don't look out the window, Ron…" she pleaded as she felt him slipping out of her grasp.

"It still isn't over…" he sounded much further away than those few inches that separated them.

"But we're safe now."

_Just close your eyes,_

_The sun is going down._

_You'll be alright,_

_No one can hurt you now._

_Come morning light, _

_You and I'll be safe and sound._

It had taken her quite some time, but she had finally managed to coax Ron back into bed. Now she lay on her side, rubbing his arm as he stared into the darkness, tears still pooling in his eyes. She hated seeing him like this, never knowing what to say or if there was even anything that she _could_ say. So she just laid in this silence, waiting for him to reach some level of comfort on his own.

"I still can't believe he's gone." he broke the silence. "I mean… that's just something you never see coming… he just can't all of a sudden be gone… forever."

"Come on, Ron." she whispered, struggling to find her voice, "You can't honestly believe that. He's still with you, just in a different way."

They lapsed into a different silence, not quite sad as much as pensive,

"You'd think the war should be over by now. With all that we've lost, don't we deserve it to be over? Don't we deserve a period of mourning without waking up to more battles, afraid to find someone else dead outside our windows?"

"Just close your eyes." Ron shot Hermione a look as if she were insane, but didn't question her. "It's getting late… just go to sleep and you'll see in the morning that everything will be alright."

He could do nothing but sigh and look her over, with a beautiful pained expression and a little bit of trust. Propping herself up on her elbows, she leaned over to gently kiss his forehead.

"When the morning comes, we'll be safe and sound¾I promise you."

She felt a strong arm reach from behind, holding her close to him as she leaned down to rest her head on his collarbone. Nestling closer, she rested her forehead against the warmth of his neck as she stoked the outline of his cheek with her thumb.

Maybe she wasn't right this time… maybe it wouldn't be alright in the morning¾maybe it would never be alright again. But this was pain, just as every day seemed to have been pain for so many people and as she lie there beside him it was so much easier to believe that this would all be better in the morning.

_Just close your eyes,_

_You'll be alright._

_Come morning light,_

_You and I'll be safe and sound_


End file.
